Christ’s work is presented in Scripture in many different categories. For example, much of the New Testament emphasizes that he is the “Son of David” which draws our attention to the fact that he is a king. Thus, the sign put over the head of Christ on the cross, though meant mockingly, is correct in calling him the King of the Jews. And when we think of his work, it is easy to compare it to a conquering king, triumphing over his enemies (e.g. Colossians 2:13-15). Also we see him as the ultimate prophet. Up to the point of Jesus, God chose certain men as his mediators (prophets) through whom he would speak of himself, his will, and his ways. Therefore, God spoke through individuals to show us who he was. Jesus, however, becomes the ultimate prophet (Hebrews 1:1-4), the direct self-expression of God himself, according to John 1:1-18. Therefore, though God’s words were spoken through prophets, Jesus is the word of God, revealing to us who our God is.
In the same way, Christ’s work is presented to us in Scripture as that of a priest. When we begin to think of what he did as compared to the normal practice of the priesthood, it makes sense. However, there is a seeming problem with how exactly Jesus can be seen as a priest. And it is this seeming problem that the epistle to the Hebrews answers. However, before looking there, let’s remind ourselves who priests were and what they did.
The priest was humanity’s representative before God. Hebrews 5:1 says, “For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God.” He is the one who goes before God on behalf of those whom he represents. This is why the priest’s garments had to be so detailed. For example, we read in Exodus 28 that Aaron was to fasten twelve stones on this breastpiece, representing the twelve tribes of Israel as he came before the Lord. Exodus 28:29 says, “And Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment over his heart when he enters the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.” He did this because he served as their representative before God.
We also read that the priest pronounced benedictions and declared covenant blessings upon the people (Numbers 6:22-27). However, the most intriguing work that the high priest did was that he alone presided over the offering of sacrifices on the Day of Atonement, which is described in Leviticus 16.
On the Day of Atonement (observed once per year), he would enter the Holy of Holies with the sacrificial blood on behalf of himself and the people. He wore a special garment (16:4) and offered a bullock as a sin offering for himself and his house (16:6, 11). Then, after he sprinkled blood on the mercy seat seven times as atonement, he had to leave the Holy of Holies and offer a goat as a sin offering for Israel and the holy place (16:15-16). He then sent a live goat into the desert to carry away the sins of Israel (16:20-22). Finally, after washing, changing into his normal garments, offering burnt offerings and burning the fat of the sin offering, he would take the carcasses of the bullock and goat outside the camp to be burnt (16:23-27). And in doing all of this he was coming before God on behalf of the people and offering a sacrifice as atonement for their sins before a holy God.
Now, all this sounds great, and we could see how these categories provide a nice framework for us seeing the work of Christ as that of a priest. But there is a problem here. Only Aaron and his descendants could act as the high priest (Numbers 3:10). Priests could not come from a tribe that was not ordained to serve this purpose.
And with that said, Jesus was not one of Aaron’s direct descendants, for he was of the tribe of Judah, a tribe from whom priests did not come. Therefore, Scripture seems to leave no room for seeing Jesus as the high priest who does such work on behalf of his people. However, Hebrews deals with this problem.
In Hebrews 7, the author of Hebrews answers our problem for how Jesus might be seen as our great High Priest. And in order to see how this is done, he calls our attention back to a man mentioned in only two places in Scripture prior to the book of Hebrews: Melchizedek. We read of him in Genesis 14 as Abraham meets with him after winning a battle and gives him a tithe. It is mentioned that he is a priest of the Most High God, no doubt, then a God-fearer, a monotheist like Abraham. Thus, Abraham realizes he serves the one God of the universe and feels a connection and tithes to him. This is the event in Genesis 14:17-20. He is briefly mentioned here in four verses and mentioned once more in Psalm 110:4, but in these occurrences we are shown how Christ has become our high priest.
A. Who is Melchizedek? (Heb. 7:1-10)
As mentioned above, he is simply the king of Salem who worships and serves the one God who made the world. He is considered a priest of God. However, in verses 1-10 of chapter 7, the author of Hebrews points out some quite interesting things about Melchizedek that shows that he serves as a type of one who would come later, but be greater than him, Jesus Christ. He points out the following things:
1. His name means “King of Righteousness” (7:2)
In Hebrew, melek means king while sedek means righteousness. Therefore, as is often done in that language, putting them together forms a construct that is linked by “of.” Thus, Melchizedek’s very name means “King of Righteousness.”
2. He was the king of Salem, which means the “King of Peace” (7:2)
In Hebrew, again, salom (shaloam), means “peace.” Therefore, we can read “king of Salem” as “King of Peace.”
3. He has no mention of a genealogy; there is no beginning or ending of days recorded for this man (7:3).
When we read the Genesis as a whole we see that everybody who is anybody has a genealogy. “So and so was born, they gave birth to so and so, and they died” is repeated over and over again. But such is not the case with Melchizedek. We never read of this with Melchizedek, however. But far from being a nobody, he is a priest of the Most High God (Gen. 14:18), even seen as greater than Abraham as Abraham tithed to him (Heb. 7:5-10).
Does this mean that he has to be some pre-incarnate Christ? I don’t think so. Rather, I think that his life was designed to serve as typological prophecy of the great priest-king who would come after him – Jesus Christ. And the author of Hebrews sees all these parallels, especially the fact that just as Melchizedek’s beginning or ending of days is not recorded, so Christ’s aren’t either, for he lives forever. Melchizedek serves as a type of the One to come.
B. Applying Melchizedek’s priesthood to Christ (7:11-25)
Starting with verse 11, the author of Hebrews switches texts a bit. Whereas he had been expositing Genesis 14:17-20, he now turns to Psalm 110. This Psalm is quite interesting. First of all, it is important to note that it is written by David. This is assured in Matthew 22:44, as Jesus gives David credit for the Psalm.
Why is it so important? Well, David begins the Psalm saying, “The LORD says to my Lord” (Ps. 110:1). Critics might say that this was not written by David and that this man is speaking of one in authority over him speaking to another in authority over him. But David is the author, and he is the king; he is the ruler. So if one is Lord over him, it must be none other than God, himself. Therefore, we see that the Psalm portrays the Father speaking to his anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ. And in this passage, ultimately God says to our Lord, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Ps. 110:4).
This is where the author of Hebrews picks up in verse 11. He first points out, if there is another priesthood, then the Levitical priesthood was not good enough (i.e. it really couldn’t bring forgiveness of sins). Then he addresses the seeming problem with the following verses (up to v. 25). His argument may be stated as follows:
1. If there is another priesthood, the law has changed (7:12).
2. For Jesus does not belong to Aaron’s descendants but to the tribe of Judah (7:13-14).
3. And under the old law, he couldn’t have been a priest (7:13-14).
4. However, God has sworn by an oath that he is indeed a priest according to the order of Melchizedek (7:17).
5. God has sworn this because Jesus qualifies for this priesthood, for it is not based on being a descendant of Aaron but on living forever (7:15-16).
6. That is why we read that God has sworn that he is a priest forever (7:17).
7. This means that the old covenant was set aside, and a new one was coming (7:18-21).
8. Therefore, Jesus can bring the New Covenant, the forgiveness of sins, and can save forever (for he lives forever) (7:22-25).
Therefore, we see not only that Jesus is a priest of a different order than the order of the Levitical priesthood, but that God has made him one by an oath because Jesus lives forever (as Melchizedek typified). Therefore, Jesus, because he lives forever, can save forever as the other priesthood could not do. Finally, then we see that the old is passing away because it fell short of doing what Jesus could do – bring forgiveness of sins. Thus, he is the mediator of a New Covenant.
1. He acted as our ultimate representative before God (Heb. 2:11-18).
Hebrews 2:17 says of Christ, “Therefore, he had to be made like his brethren in all things, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sin of the people.”
2. He offered himself, once for all, the perfect sacrifice for sins (Heb. 7:26-28; 9:26-28).
3. He has ushered in the New Covenant (Heb. 8:1-13).
a. A blood sacrifice must be made to usher in a covenant (Ex. 24:8).
b. The Old Covenant wasn’t enough to bring true forgiveness of sins – in and of itself (Heb. 8:7).
c. Another covenant was anticipated (Jer. 31:31-34).
d. Jesus ushered in the New Covenant – and true forgiveness for sins (Heb. 8:6; 10:18; Matt. 26:26-28).
The answer is Hebrews 10:19-25. This is the application that this section brings about. Thus, we are to:
1. Draw near to God – we can approach him now with boldness in the authority of our Great High Priest.
2. Hold fast to our confession – for we know that our priest lives forever and will forever be faithful.
3. Consider how to stimulate and encourage one another to good deeds – for we have been forgiven and can (through him) walk in a manner worthy of our calling (Eph. 4:1).
May we praise the name of our Great High Priest, forever. Amen.